Keep Running
by AshandMistyLove
Summary: More to the scene with Katniss up the tree with the careers and Peeta below. Katniss X Peeta referenences all the way through, my first attempt at a Hunger Games fic. A one-shot, enjoy and comment!


**Keep Running.**

My own version of Katniss' encounter with the careers and Peeta.

_Keep running. Don't stop. No… No time._

My footsteps hit the forest floor in blind panic; I tried as best I could not to alert those behind me. They were ready. I wasn't however.

The leaves blow and rustle as I shove them aside frantically and tred as lightly as possible in my sort-of condition. It's not as easy as it sounds, especially when you've got a group of blood-thirsty eighteen year olds behind you who are perfectly happy and ready to throw away humanly mercy and end your life in the most brutal way possible.

I jump over a fallen and rotting oak tree trunk, barely making it over as I avoid being snagged on a lone branch. I ignore my stings from the nettles and leap away, but they're still there. I don't turn back but I can hear them, with my one good ear.

"It's no use Fire-Girl!" He yells, sending a tremble up my spine as it courses along my body that I'm so eager to keep in one piece.

My braid flaps behind me and bounces off of my cranium as I pick up the speed. I feel my legs growing weary, but I mustn't stop.

_I told Prim I'd win for her…_

I say this over and over in my head to keep myself going, I think that's what gives me the will to take the leap of faith upwards.

I clock a sturdy looking tree, perfect for someone as nimble as myself, possibly not for the career born lot chasing behind me like murderers.

I quick as a flash latch onto a branch and pull myself up as quickly as I can; it's all I can do to stop myself crying out from the agonising pain running through my left leg. I hear them stop beneath me, panting heavily.

I keep climbing as I hear Glimmer shout out, "Get her Cato!"

I glance back for a moment, and see Cato attempting to follow up behind me; I can't imagine he'll make it this far up. But I'll have to be careful; his anger is what drives him.

I am right. He doesn't even reach a quarter of the way up before a branch he's holding snaps under the pressure and he's sent plummeting to the forest floor. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have injured him at all like I hoped it would've.

Clove helps him to his feet but as soon as he's up he shoves her away and begins stamping his feet and cursing out loud. I raise my eyebrow.

All of a sudden, an arrow flies up at my face.

I dodge it and it hits the tree trunk where my head had been only a few moments ago. I feel the pit of my stomach sink.

I look down, "Aw damnit, almost!" A guy from district 2 curses, handing his bow to Glimmer for her to try.

I look down at Peeta. He stands a little ways off from them all, he's not smiling. Not one bit. That puzzles me.

Cato sees what I'm looking at, he turns to face Peeta. Although he's way taller than Peeta, the boy doesn't look scared of Cato. He looks up, a blank expression across his face. Cato looks up at me with a scowl, then back at Peeta.

"You try."

Peeta snaps out of his empty daze. "What?"

Cato takes Clove's bow and shoves it into Peeta's hands.

"I said, you try." Cato growls.

I look in horror down at Peeta, he looks at the bow, and he doesn't answer Cato or move a single bit. He just stares at it, like it is a miraculous cure for something.

Cato shoves Peeta slightly. My other District 12 half looks at Cato, then up at me in my tree, injured, and at this moment, scared.

He doesn't make a move, just keeps looking at the bow, then me. Clove snarls and shoves an arrow into his hand. She whispers into his ear, "We think you should be the one to kill your '_star crossed lover'_." She hisses.

Peeta's sky blue eyes grow wider; he gulps and looks around the careers. Each of them makes no attempt to help him out at all; they just stare expectantly.

All of a sudden, his arms begin to shake, he lifts the heavy bow however like it's one of the grain bags at the bakery. He fumbles with the arrow till he works out to fix it in place. I imagine what Gale must be thinking at Peeta's dire skills.

'_What do you see in him?' _I hear him saying.

I watch Peeta lift the bow to his face. I can tell he's trying to remember how I do it. As his cheek strokes the bow's edge, our eyes meet.

We stay like this until Cato yells out.

"Well? Hurry up!" He growls.

Peeta lifts the bow again and fixes upon me, a scared look on his face.

_Traitor._

Suddenly, I get an idea, as the arrow wanes in his bow reluctantly; I yank my own bow from behind me, and pull out an arrow as quick as a flash. I point it straight back at him.

Peeta looks shocked, hurt even. I don't see why, I mean, he's all up for shooting me, but me shoot him? Obviously it hasn't registered I'm not going to be defeated easily.

His eyes fix on mine, and he sighs. I watch as he lowers the bow, before losing his grip on it completely. It clatters to the forest floor. I breathe out.

Suddenly, Cato shoves forwards, and grabs Peeta by the neck. The baker boy's eyes begin to grow large as Cato strangles him slowly.

"What are you doing?" Cato yells, grabbing a knife and holding it up to Peeta's neck.

Peeta looks scared, but tries hard to cover it. But doesn't do it well.

_Abraham took Isaac's hand and led him to the lonesome hill.  
While his daughter hid and watched._

"What's wrong, hmm?" Cato snarls, pressing the blade into Peeta's neck slowly. A small trickle of blood slides down Peeta's neck. His breathing becomes laborious, his eyes grow wider.

"I-I can't do it!" Peeta puffs out, Cato's knife digs harder.

He looks so weak, so- defenceless. Like mum when dad died. Like- Prim- when her name was called at the reaping.

_Prim._

I shake my head, and take up my bow in my hands. Cato doesn't seem to notice, but Peeta does. His eyes are talking back to me.

'_Katniss, no.'_

I look back, determined.

I ignore Peeta, and aim for Cato's shoulder blade. I squint, aim, take fire.

My arrow flies through the air, and hits him in the shoulder. Cato cries out, his knife misses Peeta's trachea, and he slips out of the district 1 boy's way as Cato kneels down.

_Now._

_She dare not breathe. She was so still.  
Just as an angel cried for the slaughter,  
Abraham's daughter raised her voice._

I scale down the tree faster than I originally climbed; I reach the floor and sprint towards Peeta. He shoves me away from him.

"Peeta!" I yell.

Glimmer and the district 2 boy lean beside him, and yank the arrow from him. Clove catches sight of me, and Peeta.

She runs at me, a sword in her hand, I fire my bow, and it hits her in the foot. She stumbles to the ground but gets to her feet again.

She's strong, I'll give her that.

I make eye contact with Peeta, but he nods me onwards.

I ignore him, and jump from Clove and scale another tree.

Peeta stands hopelessly with the careers as Cato yells up at me in fury.

_Then the angel asked her what her name was,  
She said, "I, have none."_

I hang onto the branch for dear life, my leg is red and agonising at the moment. I sigh and look down at the scene below me.

Peeta is surrounded; Cato's at the front, so close to Peeta I can see Peeta wincing every time Cato's breath hits his face.

"W-we should camp here! She has to come down at some point, and when she does." Peeta looks up at me, "We'll be here, ready, waiting."

Cato's smile reappears; it's not a gleeful, happy smile, but a sickening, murderous one.

"I don't think we can trust you any more." Glimmer snarls, leaping forwards, and poking her dagger on Peeta's neck.

He gulps, and stays still for fear if he moves, the blade will penetrate his neck and that will end him.

"Wait, lover boy has a good idea." Clove smirked, pulling away Glimmer's dagger and allowing Peeta to relax, only slightly though.

"One chance, star crossed lover boy." She growls, handing Glimmer her knife and helping Cato to his feet.

"Let's set up camp." She instructs, pulling out some matches and watching the district 2 boy collect firewood.

_Then he asked, "How can this be?"  
"My father never gave me one."_

My stomach begins to rumble as they munch on food and Clove attends to Cato's wound.

I feel Peeta's gaze on me, I ignore him, and set to tying myself into bed with my belt. I clench my teeth as my leg sear in red hot agony.

Tears spring to my eyes, it hurts _so much_.

_But I picture Prim's face before me. It helps the pain, but only barely._

_And when he saw her, raised for the slaughter,_  
_ Abraham's daughter raised her bow._

All of a sudden, a parachute falls next to me. I look at it, and open it quickly.

"_Stay alive-H."_

I smile and open it, its burn medicine.

I'll stay here till morning, then, I'm up for the fight.

_How darest you, child, defy your father?_

* * *

_You better let young Isaac go. _


End file.
